The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-04-10
BLINDNESS.
A Paper on Some Of Its Chief
Causes.
COW TIE EYE LOSES POWER
Eject OF Smoking on the Eye-sieht-
Color Blfndness-Tumors and Can
GERS In the Ely ebaM

eye, have been considered disease
affecting the mucous membrane whic
covers the lids and part of the eyebal
the cornea or transparent front part {
the globe OF the eye, the iris and th
crystalline lens, any of which ma
result in loss of eight. But the dis
eeses now to be described, although no
so common as those above mentioned
are, as q rule, much more certainl.
fatal to vision. That TO be first noticed
Is cutie durable when recognized earl.
End subjected TO proper treatment. bu
when neglected it is almost certain Il
terminate il blindness. Glaucoma Ii
an affection upon the nature of which
the great authorities upon diseases o.
the eye are hopelessly divided. Upon
its symptoms and treatment there can
ne no dispute. but regarding the ques-
sion whether it be infammatory. or due
&c some nervous disturbance, or to soiAe
obstruction to the removal Of the fluids
of fhe eve, or to an over-production OF
these fluids, opinions differ widely.
The peculiar characteristic event is an
increase IN the hardness of the ocular
globe. The healthy eye. when pressed
Tnen gently, is found to be highly
elastic: when glaueoma occurs there is
diminished elasticity, until in advanced
cases it is as hard and finn to the
Singers as marble or bullet. There is
an over. disteRson from increase OF Its
iujd contents. giving rise to this I'm
natural condition of tension.
After the disease has become far ad-
vance6 this condition of Increased ten
sion can be recognized by any one with
moderately sensitive finger tips; but
only the educated touch can detect 1T IN
its early stages, when it is most amen
abie to treatment. This education of
tEe sense of touch is to be acquired only
by long practice, an unless practice is
kept up By constant use the de'icacy of
-aOuch becomes diminished, in the same
Eay as the pianist or the photographer |
becomes les expert by the want OF
exercise of his peculiar skill. In max
inF an examination to detect glaucoma, |
il + exists, the patient closes the eyes |
quietly. and leans the head slightly for
ward: the surgeon faces him and places |
lis two forefingers, close together, upon |
the closed lids of the eye to be examined.
One Of the fingers makes rather hrm |
pressure upon the eye, while the other |
is pressed alternately more and less
firmly. In this way an estimate Is
made Of the amount OF resistance
offered by the eyebau to pressure and
its elasticity, The pressure should be
made directly downward upon the eye
ball and should occasion no pain. Both
ewes should be examined in quick sue
cession, and if any increased hardness is
found The examination should be
repeated every day or even more often.
-. WHEN sPECTACLEs ARE USELESS.
There are several varieties of glau
coma. The 'simpIe" form comes on
gradually without pain or other indica-
aon OF Inflammation. The sight ii
found to fail gradually and there is
constant difficulty in finding suitable
glasses, until finally all sorts of spec
Iac;es have beeu tried and found use
less. When the trouble is thus far ad-
vanced the patient usually seeks medi-
cal advice. If the physician be incom-
potent or careless, and the patient is
advanced IL life and shows some signs |
OF having cataract, the latter is told that
cataract exists, but cannot be relieved
until sight is gone. As these conditions
fredusntly exist together, this mistake
is very easy to make and results in
total blindness, which the operation for
cataract fails to relieve. There is also a
smokiness or mistiness of vision, which
il the early stages varies from day to.
day in intensity, and when light is
looked at it seems surrounded by
colored rings or halo giving the tints
OF the rainbow. When the sight has
become hopslessiy impaired the pupil
remains large and responds but lazily
to variations of light. The sight is
more impaired on the side of the eye
toward the nose aad at the circumference
of the field of vision. This is the rule,
but sometimes the centre of the visual
feld NAV be almost totally blind, while
vision is still possible all around the
aCtside.
ACUTE GLAUCoMA.
On examining the eye with the op
thaImoscope, by which means the
entrance OF the optic nerve and its ex-
psnsion. called the ''retina, may be
plainly seen, the aqueous and vitreous
hamors are found TO be perfectly clear,
but the point Of entrance of the nerve |
at the far side of the eye ("fundus''l is |
found followed out, or ''cupped, ;" look |
Ing as n excayated. A small artery |
comes IN to supply the retina with !
nutritive materials. in the substance of |
the optic nerve. In the healthy eye no |
movement can be seen in the branches |
of this artery, but in glaucoma these |
vessels pulSate with every beat OF the |
heart. Hardness Of the eyeball, cup |
ping" of the point OF entrance of the |
nerve and quotations of the small |
artries at this point. are all positive I
evidences of the existence of glaucoms.
ACUTE glaucoma" is always infam-
There is cloudinesS of the
cornes, which Is also not sensitive to
slight irritation the usually transparent
= humorsp OF the eye become tarhiC, so
that the back part cannot be seen with
the optbaImoscope; there is intense
pain in the eye. brow and head: fre-
Quently nausea and vomiting; the lids
become pulled, the white of tie eve''
IS Redeemed, and there is intense hard
ness of the eyeball These SYMPTOMS
may come on suddenly, or NAV appear
after some weeks of varying diInness of
vision and intermittent pains, The
chronic iaflammatoFy form uur.u
course very similar Ill its Slow ness nd
Co the simple variety, but
there are always evidences Of iniam
natory action. There Is q ring OF el
o-rc| Nfr0J z-c-cnFS round =